Fullmetal Alchemist: Forbidden
by Scribe Senpai
Summary: FMA: Forbidden is a direct continuation of FMA: Brotherhood, which takes place 2 1/2 years after Ed and Al set off on their search for knowledge.  Rated M for detailed violence, possibly some detailed sexual content into the story.  Ed/Win, Al/Mei,  more!
1. The Long Way Home

"A lesson without pain is meaningless, that's because no one can give without sacrificing something. But by enduring that pain and overcoming it he shall obtain a powerful, unmatched heart, a full metal heart." - Edward Elric

_How long…how long has it been? _A bruised, beaten, and bloodied Edward Elric sat, tied to a chair, catching his breath as he sat alone in a dark, abandoned warehouse. His typically well kept, braided mane of golden hair was a mess, drenched in his sweat and tears. _Travel to the West I said…discover how vast the world is…what a joke! _The former alchemist sat up straight and shook the hair from his face, revealing an older Edward, his usual clean cut look replaced with light facial hair covering his jaw line. The young man looked a mess, with a blackened eye and busted lip. The sound of footsteps in the distance forced a short chuckle from him.

"Back so soon? I was getting lonely!" Ed spat, as a fair skinned Cretan soldier entered the room. The soldier's short, slicked back blonde hair contrasted the jet black uniform he wore, his piercing blue eyes met with Edward's familiar golden eyed scowl. The soldier had an aura of confidence about him that would rival the former Fuhrer Bradley of Amestris, his intimidating stature was accented with a slight smirk as a smooth voice came from his lips.

"Edward, is it?" The Cretan pulled his gloves a little tighter as he let out a breath. "We know you are an Amestrian spy. We also have multiple witnesses stating that you were seeking out information regarding alchemy. Do you know how we Cretan's view alchemy?" Ed's frustration was clear as he shot an angry glare at the man before him.

"Are you here to play twenty questions with me or what!" Ed shouted angrily. He never enjoyed being constrained, tied up, locked away, anything of the sort. Years ago, he would have simply clapped his bound hands together and made a quick escape…but those days were long gone. The Cretan began to pace back and forth, and once again began to speak. "Alchemy is strictly prohibited in Creta. Any who are found practicing the alchemic arts are killed on sight. No excuses."

"And why is that?" Ed began to question the soldier. "I'm curious, what is it that caused the Cretan government to outlaw alchemy? The rumors I've heard-" The soldier stepped towards Ed and forcefully grabbed him by the jaw. "The rumors you've heard are nothing more than that! Rumors!" Ed smiled, knowing he was on the right path judging by the soldier's outburst. Three armed soldiers entered the room, and stood at attention as the Cretan officer turned to look at them.

"Colonel Winchester, sir! A message from command." Winchester slowly let go of Ed and turned fully to face the soldiers. Ed took a look at the soldiers, who were heavily armed. The firearms in Creta far surpassed anything he'd seen in his travels. Fully automatic rifles, with amazing sights, Creta had pulled it's forces from the Amestrian border long ago and from what Ed had gathered, it was due to Creta's heavy focus on technological advancements. The Cretan army was growing, as Ed learned the hard way.

"What is it soldier, I'm working." Winchester belted as he approached the soldiers. "Fifty percent of our forces on the southern border with Aorugo have been killed, wounded, or missing, you've been asked to head further south, and lead the reinforcements in regrouping the troops, sir."

_Fifty percent…half. _And like that Edward was standing at the train station, sharing what could only be described as the closest he'd ever been to telling Winry Rockbell how he felt about her. The moment they shared that day stayed with Edward for the past two and a half years. Not once had he returned to Amestris, to Winry. He had relied on the occasional letter between the two of them to keep his head on straight. He often though of her in the late hours, the thought of her tight embrace, or apple pie…of course, he'd never _dare _voice these feelings and thoughts out loud. Ed shook his head. _Snap out of it. There'll be time for that later! _A new, determined look donned Ed's face. He had a plan. It was time to make his escape, and continue towards the Amestrian border…towards home.

Colonel Winchester was not pleased with his orders to move on immediately. "I am in the process of interrogating a SPY! Damn the southern forces, this is a matter of national security!" The colonel turned and approached Ed, who was beginning to chuckle. Although Ed had regained his right arm thanks to Alphonse on The Promised Day, Ed was thankful for his automail left leg, more than ever now. Using all his might, he kicked upwards with his left leg, Ed could feel the inner workings of the automail wavering under the stress of breaking his bonds, but the rope tore, and his left foot flew up, kicking Colonel Winchester in the jaw. Winchester fell to the ground, writhing in pain from what would surely be a broken jaw. The force of the kick sent the wooden chair falling backwards, breaking the chair, and allowing him to stand. The soldiers stood in shock as Ed regained his footing and smiled at them.

"Come on you bastards, don't just stand there!" Ed mocked the Cretan soldiers and rushed them, flying into the closest guard with a crushing knee to the face that dropped him to the ground. Upon landing, Ed spun and kicked the second guard in the chest, knocking the wind out of him as he flew into the wall. The last guard pulled up his rifle, the red laser sight aimed straight for Ed's chest, but Ed didn't hesitate, and kicked the rifle from the guards hands. "Come on! Is that all you Cretan's have?" Ed's taunt caused the final guard to draw his combat knife, and swing at him, Ed turned his back to the knife, and let it cut his bound hands free.

Ed confidently began to walk out the door as the last guard standing looked at the knife in his hand and back at Ed as he waved over his shoulder towards him. "Thanks for the help guy, really appreciate it!" He shut the door behind him, and ran from the warehouse with a limp, his automail leg beginning to give out on him. _I'll never make it with this gimp leg…ugh…Winry is going to kill me! _He franticly looked around for an answer, a getaway. As he stumbled out to the street, he saw the Colonel's blood red car, reminiscent of Colonel Mustang's ride back in central. "Keys? Please, keys…" He pulled the unlocked door open, and sure enough the keys were in the ignition. Ed threw his arms up victoriously. "Yes!" He jumped in the car and fired up the engine, and peeled off down the road.

As dawn broke, the red Cretan car was the lone vehicle on a quiet country road. He couldn't take the main route into Amestris, or be bothered with trying to hop a train. The Cretan army patrolled the streets in force already, the golden haired, golden eyed young man would be hard pressed to make it through any city unnoticed with guards on high alert. Sleep was calling for him, but he fought the urge to rest by reflecting on his time in Creta.

When he and Alphonse went in opposite directions in search of increasing their knowledge of alchemy, he had full confidence that it'd be a great learning experience. That maybe when he and Al were reunited, they'd have enough information to right some of their past wrongs, to make alchemic breakthroughs that those fools in Central couldn't even dream of! It didn't work out that way though, not at all. He quickly found out once arriving in Creta that if he wanted any sort of information on alchemy, he'd have to traverse the underground, seeking out those who study alchemy in secret. From what he had gathered, after his first year spent chasing myths and idle gossip, was that his chances of finding anyone outside of the Cretan military with any worthwhile knowledge of alchemy was slim to none. That's when the trouble started.

As he began sniffing around military circles, it became clear that the Cretan government was well aware of alchemy, and had chose to suppress it, rather than accept it. How was it that Creta took such a different stance on alchemy than his home country of Amestris? There were rumors that Creta had come as far as seeking knowledge of how to create a philosopher's stone, but once they realized that human souls were needed for the creation of a stone, they not only called of the search for a stone, but the practice of alchemy all together. At first, he believed that maybe, just maybe Creta had well meaning, genuinely good people running the country, and they simply wanted to avoid any sort of disaster dealing with a philosopher's stone.

Of course, that was simply too good to be true. To discover the true nature of Creta's stance on alchemy, Ed disguised himself as a foot soldier in the military, and as dug himself deeper, he found the answer he was looking for. Confidential files stored in the military's exclusive library in Creta's capital city of Archania, files that dated back centuries. The files told the story of past emperors of Creta reaching out to alchemy in search of power and control, but once they stumbled on the rough blueprint for creating a philosopher's stone…they went a very different direction than any past seekers had gone. Instead of collecting the souls of innocents, the Creta military believed it to be more efficient and cost effective to simply learn how to sacrifice one's own soul to bypass equivalent exchange.

When he first read over the files, it quickly occurred to him that this was something he'd done before, in order to save his own life after battling with "The Crimson Alchemist" Solf J. Kimblee. At times, when Ed found himself in a bind, he wondered if he could bargain once again…sell a little bit of his soul for convenience of alchemy once more. He never did though, it was never worth giving away some of whatever time he may have left to relax…be with friends…settle down. The Cretan's however, believed that soldiers should willingly give up fractions of their own souls in combat, as they were living the life of a soldier, and were "on borrowed time" already. Elite forces were in training, and only recently had Creta moved towards greatly increasing the number of these alchemists in their ranks. Thousands, training in the principles of alchemy, learning how to sell their souls for power. Without a doubt, a battalion of these alchemists would overrun an Amestrian force with ease.

Now here Ed was, finally returned to his home country, not only to rest, but to share this information with those he trusted in Central. When the Cretan army learned of his disappearance, they believed he was simply a Cretan soldier gone AWOL, but after checking his files, they quickly realized he was neither a soldier, or Cretan. Colonel Winchest hunted him down, from Archania all the way towards the border. Ed though that heading South-East would allow him to avoid the hot spots one looking to return to Amestris would take, but just recently the forces towards the Cretan border with Aorugo had been bolstered, the fighting on the border growing more and more fierce. Ed never intended to be a spy, but the circumstances certainly painted him as one. Not that he particularly minded though, he'd been called much worse things in the past. _Like short._

With the sun rising, Ed and his hijacked car pulled into West City. He had never been happier to be at the border town. A part of him didn't want to stop, he could grab some coffee and try to make it further in, but he couldn't risk making it all the way to Risembool in the sorry shape he was in. Ed parked in front of a small inn, and hobbled out of the car. As he stepped inside, the inn maid was tending to breakfast, the middle aged, kind faced woman curiously looked at him.

"Well hello sir! A little late to get a room isn't it?" She approached him, and her face grew concerned when she saw the cuts and bruises that decorated Edward's otherwise friendly face. "Hah, yeah, a little bit huh? Can I get a room for the night…er…day?" Ed let out a small laugh and gave the inn maid a warm smile, his eyes asking her not to question his condition. "Of course sir."

Ed reached into his pockets and quickly realized he had no Amestrian currency. He sighed, but quickly had an idea cross his mind. "Ma'am, would my car suffice as payment? I have nothing else." The maid blinked, and stumbled on her words as she prepared to turn him down, but as she peered over his shoulder out the window towards the car, she stopped. "Wait…the red one?" Ed nodded, and she happily traded Ed's car keys for the keys to a room things first, Ed jumped into the shower. The weak water pressure left him longing to enjoy the shower at Pinako's in Risembool, but this was good enough for now. Ed stepped in front of the bathroom mirror, dripping wet. He pulled his hair back to examine his face, the swelling was going down around his eye, as well as his lip, but there would be no concealing his wounds from Winry once he got home. _Home… _The thought of Winry prompted him to shave, once again presenting his well defined jaw line in proper fashion.

Ed dropped to the bed, looking to recover from his lack of sleep, and soreness…but his heart was pounding. The thought that he was so close to seeing the lovely Winry Rockbell got his blood flowing, body and mind fully of excitement. Ed would never admit it, but his heart ached to see her again. It ached two and half years ago when he first left for Creta. The last letter from her came six months ago, and was one of the few things Ed kept on him at all times. He looked over at the bedside table, where the contents of his pocket lay scattered from his rush to shower, a neatly folded piece of paper sat next to some pocket lint. Ed reached over grabbed it, and began to unfold the delicate piece of literature so he could once again feel close to Winry.

_Edward, _

_I never know what to say in these letters. It's not that I don't have anything to say, actually, I have too much to say. You'd never read it if I sent you a novel of nothing but my random thoughts and ramblings to you. You better be safe Ed, I feel like sending you these letters may get you in trouble, if you're a "solider" there, they won't like you talking to anyone in Amestris. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I was the reason you got hurt. Please be safe. There I go again. I'll save my worrying for myself, but you better know how much I care Ed. _

_When will you come home? Soon, I hope. It's been too long, your leg probably needs a tune up. Is that a good enough excuse to come home, for a while even? There's a life for you here Ed, you don't always have to be the hero. You've done enough, haven't you? Of course you haven't, you're Edward Elric. _

_I got a letter from Alphonse! His time in Xing sounds infinitely better than yours, to put it lightly. He's healthy and learning a great deal, Ling Yao has made everything a breeze for Al there. Or should I say, Emperor Yao? Al's living like royalty over there, he was even proclaimed an honorary console to the emperor. Sounds nice, but that might not mean anything more than Al getting to choose what Ling has for breakfast each day. Mei Chang is there as well, and working closely with Al on grasping Alkahestry. But he won't tell me HOW close. They'd be an adorable couple._

_I'm waiting for you Ed,_

_Winry_

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><p>Hope you all enjoyed this massive first chapter, I didn't intend for it to drag on like it did, but without a prologue, I had to hit quite a few things before moving on. Please, review, let me know what you think! I'm receptive to constructive criticism, and am here to share my personal take on how a continuation of the series would play out. It's incredibly fun for me, I hope you readers feel the same!<p>

I'll try to update at least once a week, possibly more if I'm really into it. I have a lot going on, but my writing is therapeutic for me, I'll definitely be around often! Next chapter may give us some insight to how Al's adventure in Xing has been going, and an answer to Winry's question of HOW close are he and Mei. Also, a little clarity on the rating of the story, I intend for the fight scenes to get more graphic than they were here in chapter one, I opted to not spend so much time on it here since the chapter was already looking massive. In regards to sexual content as the story progresses, yeah, it might come up. Also, if I do it, I'll try to keep it classy but...satisfying. Just went with the M rating to keep all bases covered.

Thanks for reading!


	2. One is All, All is One

"Say, brother, have you found the answer to 'One is all, all is one'? I've been thinking about it all this time, but I only have a vague idea about it…" - Alphonse Elric

The land of Xing has long been praised for it's people's discipline, Alphonse Elric learned this before ever traveling to the country as he watched both Ling Yao and May Chang strive to secure their family's right to rule despite all odds. Honor, respect, unwavering faith…these were only but a few principles that made the people of Xing so very unique. Never had he seen this level of discipline, not even in the Amestrian military. The only one who came close was Scar, who's firm belief in his religion and people made him a formidable opponent, and a trusted ally.

Fifty Xingese monks were conducting their martial arts training together in formation. Their bald heads only mounted by long, braided ponytails. Looking over their ranks, you could tell no one man apart, they were all one…well…almost. Al's short, golden hair stood out like a sore thumb, but his movements matched those of the monks blow by blow. Al had taken to the Xingese lifestyle like a fish to water, not only was his body completely healthy, his spirit and mind were aligned, all part of his training in Alkahestry. The monastery sat on a mountain top, not far from Emperor Yao's castle. The cold blue sky was decorated with crisp, white clouds. The chill of the mountain took some getting used to, but since getting his body back, Al has never once forsaken his senses. He loved feeling cold just as much as he did hot, and embraced pain as well as pleasure.

As the monks came to a finish, Al stood tall and bowed to the conductor of the practice, who returned the gesture. Al had truly grew up into a fine young man. Although much taller than he was when he first returned to his body, his size could never trump the gentle, kind face that he had worn since childhood. He walked over to the multitude of steps that led down the mountain, and was greeted by the charming grin that belonged to May Chang. She'd grown as well, turning 18 only months ago, she had matured a great deal from her days of searching Amestris for the key to immortality.

She held her hands behind her back and leaned forward, as to get a better look at Al as he approached. Her loyal companion Xiao Mei mimicked the martial arts moves the monks had been performing, drawing a chuckle from Al. "Alphonse-sama, your form has improved so much!" Al blushed a little. "Well thanks May, I've been working hard. It's really helped me get a better grasp of chi…one is all, all is one." Al wiped the sweat from his brow and caught his breath .

May beamed at him as he thanked her, she lifted a flask of water his way. "For you, Al. Drink, you're surely thirsty." He took the flask quickly and drank the water down. "Ahh…thank you May. So, are your things packed?" She nodded her head, and Xiao Mei threw a makeshift, stick and bag pack over her shoulder. "I'm all set, our caravan is prepared to head West first thing tomorrow morning!"

Al stared at her as she answered, admiring her braided, black hair, which she kept in a bun on her head, with two braided loops that reached her shoulders. He often wondered if she felt as she did for him all those years ago, or if it was nothing more than a young girl's crush. Although Al had always been wise, he had the most trouble reading women, or, maybe it was just women he liked.

That evening, Al sat in Ling Yao's room, enjoying a game of chess. "I don't understand it Al, when you were bound to that suit of armor, I longed for your immortality. Now, you have your body, and I long for your intelligence." Lan Fan stood guard quietly in the corner of the room, watching over Ling, always. "I think you're selling yourself short, Ling, your will and determination were enough to overcome Greed. Think about it, you made GREED share your body." Al moved into checkmate, once again defeating Ling at his favorite game. Ling looked puzzled, but not at his defeat. He pondered on Al's statement for a moment and let out a hearty laugh.

"Yet again you amaze me Alphonse. As I run my mouth, you reveal to me even more dimensions of myself than I knew existed. Thank you." Ling and Al stood, and shook hands over the chess board. "You are a trusted friend Al, please, return to us soon." Al smiled at the kind words and bowed after they were finished shaking hands. "Ling, it's an honor to serve under you, and-" Ling stepped around the table, and put his hand on Al's shoulder. "No Al, you do not serve under me. You are my equal." Al stood up straight in shock, had the arrogant emperor of Xing truly called him his equal?

Al walked down the quiet, peaceful halls of the castle, and reached the door to his quarters. He slid the door open, and to his surprise found May sitting on his bed, and she looked pleased to see him. He noticed his bags were packed neatly on his bed. "Alphonse, apologies for being here unannounced…I just wanted to help you out. I packed your things. I hope you don't mind." Her innocence played to Al's ears as if it were the charming tune of a rare songbird. He let out a laugh and walked to her.

"Oh no, of course I don't mind May. I'm terrible about packing ahead of time anyways, thank you!" That was a lie, all day Al worked out how he'd managed to fit all of his belongings into only two bags, he enjoyed the challenge as if it were a puzzle, but he'd not miss this chance to praise May. He rubbed his head as she stood, pleased that he was thankful. He felt his heart pound faster as he admired her silk robes, and the figure they concealed. She blushed as she caught his eyes wandering, and she took his hand, Al blinked and blushed as well. "Alphonse…thank you for taking me with you. Even when I have taught you all I can of Alkahestry, you, you insisted that I return to Amestris with you." Al held her hand as she stepped closer to him, and rested her head against his chest. Al's eyes grew wide with surprise, their relationship had always been strictly professional, as allowing anything more could disrupt his learning. Not to mention that in Xingese cutlure, suddenly moving into a member of the opposite sex's personal space was highly uncommon unless the two were together.

Al wrapped one arm around her, holding her hand with the other. "May, leaving you behind was never an option." He could feel her cheeks rise as she smiled, looking down towards the floor, simply enjoying the embrace. She chuckled as she watched Xiao Mei tug on the bottom of her robe, urging her to stop being intimate with Al. She pulled away from Al, who's face was beet red. "Goodnight Al-chan." She softly kissed his cheek, and left the room quickly. Al stood there for a moment, soaking in what just happened. He placed his hand on his cheek where she kissed him, and sat on his bed. He hadn't been this excited in a long time.

"Great, now I'll never sleep."

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><p>Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it was a refreshing in comparison to chapter 1, although I'm not as fond of AlMei as I am any other pairing save for Ling/LanFan. During my time writing this I couldn't help but think of the film "The Last Samurai" with Tom Cruise, where a westerner adapts to Japanese samurai culture by becoming one himself. For all you Ed/Win nuts, you'll want to catch the next chapter, as we'll be traveling further down THAT rabbit hole. Please, favorite and review! Let me know how you feel about the story, or even some things YOU'D be interested in seeing as the story progresses. I'm aiming to please you guys, so talk to me!

(Also, looks like in chapter one I called May Chang "Mei" rather than May. I'll be going with the spelling in this chapter from here on out, although this is a minor issue.)


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